Business Development & Outreach (Intern) — Mandarin Speaking

About the Role

We are looking for a Mandarin-speaking BD & Outreach Intern who wants to be in the conversations that matter — not watching from the sidelines, but learning to drive them.

You will work directly alongside the CEO in live outreach, investor conversations, and partner pitches focused on the China market. This means handling real prospects, real objections, and real stakes — not simulated exercises.

You will build pipeline, lead outreach efforts, and gradually take ownership of investor and partner conversations independently. Your work will go into real emails, real proposals, and real relationships that directly impact the business.

If you are someone who enjoys the energy of a pitch, thinks in terms of relationships and value exchange, and wants to learn BD the way it actually works — this role will push you in the right ways.

What You Will Do

• Support and participate in investor and partner outreach on behalf of the CEO

• Research and identify potential investors, partners and clients in the China market

• Draft outreach emails, follow-ups, pitch decks and one-pagers in English and Mandarin

• Build and maintain a pipeline of prospects using CRM tools

• Track outreach status and ensure no conversation falls through the cracks

• Attend meetings with the CEO and actively participate in BD conversations

• Conduct market research to identify trends, whitespace opportunities and relevant players

• Support preparation of investor materials — decks, data rooms and briefing documents

• Represent VALSEA at industry events and networking sessions when needed

• Gradually take ownership of pitching select opportunities independently

What We're Looking For

• Fluent in Mandarin (written and spoken) and English — this is a must

• Based in Singapore or from Hangzhou/Zhejiang province — both are welcome to apply

• Currently studying or recently graduated

• Confident communicator who is comfortable reaching out to senior stakeholders cold

• Genuine passion for business, deals and building relationships

• Fast learner — able to pick up new tools, contexts and priorities quickly

• Comfortable leveraging AI tools to work smarter and faster

• Startup mindset or entrepreneurial background

• Coachable — willing to be trained and take feedback in real time

Founding Mindset

• You think in terms of relationships built, not just emails sent

• You ask "what does this investor or client actually need?" before every outreach

• You take ownership of follow-through — deals die in silence

• You balance boldness with listening

• You proactively surface new opportunities instead of waiting for leads to come to you

Bonus

• Experience in sales, BD or a client-facing role

• Existing network in China's startup, VC or tech ecosystem

• Exposure to CRM tools such as HubSpot or Salesforce

• Familiarity with Chinese accelerators, investors or startup programmes

• Understanding of the AI or speech tech landscape in China

What Success Looks Like

Within 4–6 weeks, you should be able to:

• Own outreach and follow-up for a set of China-market investor and partner targets

• Contribute meaningfully in at least one live pitch or investor conversation with the CEO

• Build and maintain an active pipeline with clear status tracking

• Draft an investor one-pager or partner proposal independently in English and Mandarin

What You'll Get

• Direct exposure to real investor and client conversations in the China market

• Hands-on training in BD, outreach and fundraising strategy

• A track record of real conversations and closed relationships — not just busywork

• Work directly with the founder and get a front-row seat to how a startup is built

• A strong foundation for roles in BD, investor relations or commercial strategy

• An opportunity to accelerate your entrepreneurial journey

Who This Is Not For

• If you are uncomfortable with rejection or ambiguity

• If you prefer back-office work over client-facing interactions

• If you wait for leads to come to you

• If you are looking for a low-intensity internship

Who Will Thrive Here

• Mandarin-English bilingual communicators who can bridge two markets

• Natural relationship builders who follow through on every conversation

• People who are energised by outreach and persuasion

• High-agency individuals who treat every interaction as an opportunity

• Anyone who wants to learn investor and client BD the way it is actually done — in the field

About VALSEA

VALSEA is speech intelligence infrastructure for Southeast Asia — built for the accents, dialects, and code-switching that every other AI ignores.